Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 1997

Vol. 483 No. 6

Written Answers. - Garda Recruitment.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

385 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total number of gardaí due to retire in 1997; the likely number of new recruits to replace them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21251/97]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The projected wastage figure for the Force to the end of 1997 is 347. This figure includes 287 retirements. The total number of trainees recruited to the College this year is 617.

Three hundred and twenty-three recruits have been attested, i.e. assigned full Garda powers, to date this year and a further 128 recruits will be attested this week bringing total attestations in 1997 to 451.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

386 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals, if any, he has for recruitment to the Garda Síochána and the Prison Service over the next three years; if these measures will meet requirements in relation to policing and detention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21253/97]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to increase Garda numbers to bring the strength of the Force to 12,000. This will require the recruitment of an estimated 2,200 gardaí. I propose to achieve this over a period of five years. The intake of additional recruits to meet this target will commence early next year.

Garda management will continue to monitor the deployment of personnel with a view to ensuring that policing requirements are adequately met. Furthermore, the report of the Steering Group on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Garda Síochána published last week recommends a "bottom-up" review of the Force to determine the optimum resources required by the Garda for effective and efficient policing of the State. This recommendation has been approved by the Government.

A recruitment campaign is currently under way for the Prison Service. Already, since the beginning of October, 52 prison officers have been recruited. Between now and the end of 1998 it is proposed to recruit in the region of another 330 prison officers to meet the staffing needs arising from the opening of a new prison at Castlerea, a new female prison at Mountjoy and a new remand prison at Cloverhill.

It is anticipated that additional prison officers will also be recruited during 1999 and the year 2000 to staff the additional prison spaces which the Government intends to provide during that period.